September 13, 2018: 90 Percent of Live Music Attendees Say Brands Elevate Experiences, Inside Rihanna's Inclusive Fashion Week Closing Show, Pioneer Streetwear Style Blog to Launch First Festival

1. 90 PERCENT OF LIVE MUSIC ATTENDEES SAY BRANDS ELEVATE EXPERIENCES: A new global study from Live Nation found that 90 percent of live music fans think brands elevate a festival or concert. The study surveyed 22,500 people ages 13 to 49 in 11 countries. Adweek: “’It’s easier than ever to connect to people but harder than ever to connect with people,’ Amanda Fraga, VP, strategy and insights, media and sponsorship for Live Nation, said. ‘Information overload in this increasingly digitized world is leading us searching for deep human connection, fulfilling those emotional needs and that sensation that we’ve kind of lost in society today.’ Seventy-eight percent of survey participants said they felt live events are highly emotional experiences (more so than streaming music, attending sporting events, or playing video games). When people are feeling those emotions, they are 67 percent more receptive to new ideas. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said they are more likely to connect with brands, 66 percent are more likely to make purchases, and 68 percent said they feel more connected to the purchases they make. According to Live Nation, brands have a big opportunity to tap into emotional intensity and reengage with fragmented and distracted audiences by harnessing the power of live music. Live Nation was further able to prove the emotional power of live music through a smaller study it conducted at a St. Vincent concert earlier this year. The team strapped attendees with wearable EEG headbands that measured brain waves (with a focus on alpha brain waves) to see if they were more relaxed, attentive, and engaged. Fans exhibited an increase in excitement, and over 90 percent of participants displayed a significant bump in engagement and attentiveness throughout the show, ‘which is obviously really important for brands who come to life surrounding this type of experience,’ Fraga said.” https://bit.ly/2CQ8XbN

2. INSIDE RIHANNA'S INCLUSIVE FASHION WEEK CLOSING SHOW: Rihanna closed out New York Fashion Week with a jungle-theme runway show to launch her latest Savage x Fenty lingerie line. The show, which took place at Brooklyn Navy Yard on Wednesday, featured models of different races, shapes, and sizes. New York Post: "It was a catwalk coup that lasted nearly thirty minutes as models made their way around an oblong lush green runway decorated with gigantic fronds, waterfalls, and spinning spherical cages. In addition to casting runway vets, including Joan Smalls, Bella Hadid, and Gigi Hadid, Rihanna had a slew of professional dancers, plus-size models, and proud pregnant ladies showing off her sexy wares. Their runway walks were far from somber: Models pulled out modern-dance moves and yoga poses, and at times broke out into playful prances and jubilant leaps, eliciting whoops and cheers from the crowd. All were scantily clad, but the devil was in the Rihanna approved-details, which included heart-shaped nipple pasties, feathery day-glo boudoir slides, and fresh orchids pinned to negligees. Within a flash at the finale, there she was, the woman of the night, sauntering down the runway in a clingy brown dress and stiletto heels, waving to her fans as Elvis’s 'Love Me Tender' played." https://nyp.st/2x7ZF5C

3. PIONEER STREETWEAR STYLE BLOG TO LAUNCH FIRST FESTIVAL: Hypebeast, one of the first fashion blogs to document sneakers and streetwear, is launching its own festival this fall. The New York Times: “Kevin Ma, who founded the blog in 2005 when he was a student in Vancouver, didn’t know much about fashion then. But 13 years later, the Hong Kong native sits quietly at the top of a publicly traded Hypebeast empire. His dominion includes the website, a quarterly print magazine, an online store, legions of influential fans, and now a Hypebeast festival, which will take place the first weekend of October in an undisclosed location in Brooklyn with a ‘breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline.’ It will be called Hypefest. Mr. Ma, 36, and his team have been reluctant to share too much information in advance of the festival; it might kill the hype. Instead, taking cues from the brands that they’ve promoted for years, they are letting news about the festival trickle out slowly, and letting intrigue build. Upward of 10,000 tickets will be available online next week—for free. But promotional materials promise that Hypefest will be a ‘highly curated and educational experience.’ There will be booths from global clothing companies like Adidas Originals, Diesel, and Moncler, as well as streetwear brands like Needles and Girls Don’t Cry. There will also be music, food, art, and talks with fashion designers, held in a ‘Hypetalks panel discussion area.’ Perhaps most notably, Hypefest will not be a merch-fest. ‘We want people to really have an experience as opposed to shopping,’ Mr. Ma said. ‘I feel that you can shop any time. You can shop at a shop. You can go to a pop-up to shop. You can go online to shop.’” https://nyti.ms/2NBbxXA

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Yotel has named Trish Berry general manager, Jason Cool beverage director, and Felicia Rahm director of sales and marketing. 

LAS VEGAS:  Park MGM has debuted the Spa & Salon as part of its ongoing transformation. 

LOS ANGELES:  The 10th anniversary Heath Ledger Scholarship will be presented at a dinner on September 20 at the Chateau Marmont. The event will be hosted by Bird in Hand winery in partnership with the Ledger family and Australians in Film. 

To celebrate the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s new season, colorful projections will be mapped on the exterior of the Walt Disney Concert Hall from September 27-October 6. 

The 10th annual VidCon will take place July 10-13, 2019, at the Anaheim Convention Center. 

SportsTravel magazine’s Teams Conference & Expo will take place in Anaheim in 2019 and 2024, as part of a new 10-year partnership agreement with Visit Anaheim. The sports event organizer conference is organized by the sports division of Northstar Travel Group. 

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Fontainebleau Miami Beach has promoted Kevin Bryant to vice president of sales. 

NEW YORK:  The founders of experiential pop-up installation Dream Machine will launch Nightmare Machine October 3-31 at a vacant space in Williamsburg. The self-guided experience will feature nine Halloween-inspired rooms. 

The Elton John AIDS Foudnation will host its annual New York Fall Gala November 5 at Cipriani 42nd Street. The event will honor Ford Foundation president Darren Walker, philanthropist Patricia Hearst, and D.D.G. chairman and C.E.O. Joe McMillan. Sheryl Crow will perform and Gayle King will host the event. 

Hope for Depression Research Foundation’s 12th annual Hope Luncheon Seminar will be held November 6 at the Plaza hotel. The event will be focused on the topic “Brain Health and Wellness—the Science of Self Care.” 

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

PHILADELPHIA:  Bowery Presents has acquired the Electric Factory, which will be renamed. Philadelphia Inquirer: https://bit.ly/2xhKYfV

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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